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• Coat yourself in health-giving mud at Dead Sea spa resorts. It is also impossible to sink in this ‘sea', which is in fact an inland lake with intensely salty, mineral-rich water, lying at the lowest point on earth.
• Visit pre-War Europe on a stroll, or at least a bus ride, through Jerusalem's Mea She'arim district, home to Israel's largest community of strictly observant Orthodox Jews who keep all their East European dress and traditions alive.
• Tuck in to freshly caught fish, for example at one of the seafront restaurants with stunning sea views in the traffic-free centre of Jaffa, the oldest working port in the world, now part of Tel Aviv.
• Haggle and buy anything from bargain souvenirs to real gold jewellery at open-fronted Arab stores along the Street of the Chain, the main market street in Jerusalem's Old City. Side turnings lead into even more exotic market streets.
• Feel the power of the desert on a trip into the Negev. There are tours by jeep, on foot or on horseback from the desert town of Mitzpe Ramon and from the Red Sea resort of Eilat.
• Go underwater sightseeing in the coral-rich waters off Eilat. Scuba or snorkel on underwater trails, take a submarine tour, or just marvel at the scene through the windows of the Eilat's amazing Underwater Observatory.
• Post a prayer to God by pushing a note between the mighty stones of the Western Wall, worn smooth by millennia of devotional caresses. All around, a constant flow of people can always be found here.
• Go to a performance by the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra, or the New Israel Opera, or one of several other great orchestras in Tel Aviv which draw audiences from all over the world.
• Enjoy the bustle of Tel Aviv's fascinating Shuk HaCarmel, or Carmel Market, as shoppers who came here from Eastern Europe or the Jewish quarters of Arab towns throng between stalls piled high with herbs and exotic fresh produce.
• Follow Jesus' footsteps along the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem's Old City. It traces the traditional path he walked from judgment to crucifixion. The nine 'stations' along the route lead to five more in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
• Become acquainted with kibbutz life by visiting, or perhaps staying in, one of these intriguing semi-communal communities that can be found all over the country. Many have good facilities for tourists.
• Get back to nature at Israel's 50+ national parks and nature reserves such as Hurshat Tal, Gamla Reserve and Ahziv National Park. As well as a wealth of flora and fauna, many are home to historic sites (website: www.parks.org.il).
• Enjoy the sea at sandy well-equipped beach resorts where you can sail, surf, swim or waterski or just sunbathe either at Eilat on the Red Sea, along the Mediterranean or even in Tel Aviv minutes from the city centre.
See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.
• Visit pre-War Europe on a stroll, or at least a bus ride, through Jerusalem's Mea She'arim district, home to Israel's largest community of strictly observant Orthodox Jews who keep all their East European dress and traditions alive.
• Tuck in to freshly caught fish, for example at one of the seafront restaurants with stunning sea views in the traffic-free centre of Jaffa, the oldest working port in the world, now part of Tel Aviv.
• Haggle and buy anything from bargain souvenirs to real gold jewellery at open-fronted Arab stores along the Street of the Chain, the main market street in Jerusalem's Old City. Side turnings lead into even more exotic market streets.
• Feel the power of the desert on a trip into the Negev. There are tours by jeep, on foot or on horseback from the desert town of Mitzpe Ramon and from the Red Sea resort of Eilat.
• Go underwater sightseeing in the coral-rich waters off Eilat. Scuba or snorkel on underwater trails, take a submarine tour, or just marvel at the scene through the windows of the Eilat's amazing Underwater Observatory.
• Post a prayer to God by pushing a note between the mighty stones of the Western Wall, worn smooth by millennia of devotional caresses. All around, a constant flow of people can always be found here.
• Go to a performance by the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra, or the New Israel Opera, or one of several other great orchestras in Tel Aviv which draw audiences from all over the world.
• Enjoy the bustle of Tel Aviv's fascinating Shuk HaCarmel, or Carmel Market, as shoppers who came here from Eastern Europe or the Jewish quarters of Arab towns throng between stalls piled high with herbs and exotic fresh produce.
• Follow Jesus' footsteps along the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem's Old City. It traces the traditional path he walked from judgment to crucifixion. The nine 'stations' along the route lead to five more in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
• Become acquainted with kibbutz life by visiting, or perhaps staying in, one of these intriguing semi-communal communities that can be found all over the country. Many have good facilities for tourists.
• Get back to nature at Israel's 50+ national parks and nature reserves such as Hurshat Tal, Gamla Reserve and Ahziv National Park. As well as a wealth of flora and fauna, many are home to historic sites (website: www.parks.org.il).
• Enjoy the sea at sandy well-equipped beach resorts where you can sail, surf, swim or waterski or just sunbathe either at Eilat on the Red Sea, along the Mediterranean or even in Tel Aviv minutes from the city centre.
See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.